The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapters 5 and 25 was made today at the Fourth Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels.The negotiating positions of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 5 - Public procurement and Chapter 25 - Science and research. The Serbian delegation was headed by the Minister in charge of European integration Jadranka Joksimović.
Chapter 5 is devoted to Public procurement, an important segment of the functioning of the economy that is necessary in order to achieve the objectives of the free market. The interesting part, in regards to the Chapter 5, is that the EU did not require any benchmarks for its opening. The importance of regulating this area of negotiation is evidenced by the fact that the public procurement accounts for 20 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in EU countries, and around 15 percent of GDP at the global level. The way the taxpayers' money is used is of great importance for the quality of services that the state provides to citizens and businesses. By strengthening the transparency of public procurement, the presumptions for a greater number of potential bidders to learn about the needs of contracting authorities are created. This further contributes to the strengthening of competition between them, and the possibility of a country to get the best deal on the market for the given money. This way, it is possible to achieve significant savings for the same volume of purchased goods, services and works.
Chapter 25 - Science and research involves the harmonisation of rules within these areas with those of the EU countries, with the aim of improving the national scientific and technological system as one of the key factors of sustainable and economic development. By accessing the scientific system of the European Union, the Member States have the possibility to fully participate in EU science and research programmes, which allows the inclusion of its scientists in international projects and the provision of additional funds for research funding.
Press release about the Fourth Intergovernmental Conference issued by the Council of the EU you may find here.
